Dispensing closures for containers



NOV. 5, 1968 WR|GHT 3,409,188

DISPENSING CLOSURES FOR CONTAINERS Filed April 13, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR ROB ERT H. WRIGHT ATTORNEY S Nov. 5, 1968 R. H. WRIGHTDISPENSING CLOSURES FOR CONTAINERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 13, 19678 33 T 3 I H 3 R R O W T 3 N H I 3 nn 1 W E 5 B 3 O u R [I 0 5 JATTORNEYS United States Patent- O 3,409,188 DISPENSING 'CLOSURES FORCONTAINERS Robert H. Wright, 190 Warren Ave., Hartland, Wis. 53029 FiledApr. 13, 1967, Ser. No. 630,690 2 Claims. (Cl. 222-480) ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A one-piece, double-hinged dispensing closure in the top of asalt carton, or other container for granular or powdered materials,which device can be swung open one way to form a pouring spout, andwhich can be opened the opposite way to expose a number ofsmall siftingopenings for use when it is desired to shake a limited quantity ofmaterial from said container.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of invention-The present inventionrelates to dispensing means for containers, and more particularly todispensers for seasoning containers and the like which can beselectively used for either shaking or pouring.

Description of the prior art-Prior US. Patents Nos. 2,940,645;2,826,343; and 3,018,024 disclose one-piece dispensing closures havingsifting openings and attached hinged lids, but said devices do notinclude interchangeable pouring spouts integral therewith. Prior PatentsNos. 2,327,420; 2,589,819; and 2,904,226 disclose combination siftingand pouring dispensers, but said prior devices are not in the form of aone-piece, double-hinged unit which can be selectively openedin oppositedirections to obtain the desired dispensing action.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a noveldispensing closure for the top of a salt carton or other container forgranular or powdered products which can be opened by a housewife orother user to provide a pouring spout when it is desired to dispense arelatively large quantity into a measuring cup or the like, and whichcan be manipulated to retract said spout and to expose a number ofsifting apertures when it is desired to shake a limited quantity of theproduct from said container.

Unlike prior dispensers combining both a sifter and pouring spout, thepresent invention can be molded from plastic or similar inexpensivematerial in a single piece, thus providing a dispenser which is not onlyfunctionally superior to said prior devices but which is substantiallymore economical to manufacture.

A further feature is that the novel double-hinged design and simple butunique opening procedure characterizing the present invention has beenfound to provide a source of curiosity and fascination to a user.

Still further important features of the present dispensing closure arethat it is durable and not easily broken, it is reliable in use, and itis otherwise particularly well adapted for its intended purposes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings, wherein the samereference numerals designate the same parts in all of the views:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a salt carton having the improveddispensing closure in the top thereof, said device being shown in itsclosed position;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the salt carton with thedispenser opened to expose the sifting apertures;

FIG. 3 is a similar fragmentary perspective view of the carton showingthe dispensing closure opened the opposite way to form a pouring spout;

7 3,409,188 Patented Nov. 5, 1968 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERREDEMBODIMENTS Referring now more particularly to FIG. 1 of the drawings,the numeral 10 designates a conventional cylindrical salt carton of thetype commonly available in grocery stores, said container having a top11 within which the novel dispensing closure 12 comprising the presentinvention is permanently mounted. It is to be understood, of course,that while a salt carton is illustrated in the drawing and will bereferred to hereafter, the novel dispensing closure can beadvantageously employed'with containers for other granular or powderedproducts as well, and the invention is by no means to be limited in thisrespect. Moreover, while said dispenser is preferably molded of aflexible and resilient plastic material such as polyethylene, otherresilient materials and forming methods could be employed.

In FIG. 1 of the drawing the carton 10 is shown in its normal, uprightposition, with the dispenser 12 closed, while in FIGS. 2 and 3 saidcarton is illustrated in its inverted, dispensing positions. In FIG. 2the dispensing closure is shown opened to expose the sifting openings13, for use when it is desired to shake a small, controlled quantity ofthe container contents on food, and in FIG. 3 said dispenser 12 isarranged to form a bulk pouring spout, as when it is desired to pour arelatively larger quantity into a measuring cup or the like, or when itis desired to fill individual salt shakers or the like.

With reference now to FIGS. 4-8, it will be seen that said dispensingrlosure 12 includes a frame 14 surrounding and defining a dispensingopening 18, said frame having a top portion 16 designed to overlie thecarton top 11 (FIGS. 4 and 7), and there being an annular cutout orgroove 17 into which the marginal portion of said carton top projectsvIn the illustrated embodiment of the invention one end of said frame 14is slightly narrower than the opposite end, which narrow end will behereinafter referred to as the forward end for the sake of convenience,and formed on the lower portion of said forward end is a lip or shoulder19 which projects into the opening 18. The frame longitudinal walls areprovided with notches or cutouts 21 in their bottom edges adjacent theopposite, rearward end of said frame, as is shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, thefunction of which will be hereinafter seen.

Formed integrally on the rearward end of .the frame 14 is a hinge member22 having a pair of transverse cutouts or grooves 15 and 20 thereacross(FIG. 7) forming hinge lines, and which member hingedly secures anapertured panel 23, hereinafter called the sifter panel, to said frame.The surface of said sifter panel 23 is depressed, as shown, and isprovided with a plurality of perforations or apertures 13 forming thesifting openings. The size and number of said sifting openings can bevaried, of course, depending upon the particular prod-net.

Said sifter panel 23 is of a shape and size to seat substantially flushwithin and covering the frame opening 18, and as best appears in FIG. 4a lug 26 formed on the end face of said panel 23 is adapted to snapunder the shoulder provided by the forward end of said frame when saidsifter panel is pressed into seated position within said frame opening18, there also being lugs 26' formed on the longitudinal edges of saidpanel designed to snap under said frame when the panel is positionedtherein. In addition, there is formed on and extending across the hingemember 22 a transverse flange 24 having beveled end portions 24' whichproject laterally outwardly beyond said hinge member (FIG. 5), and whichprojecting flange ends snap into the aforementioned frame cutouts 21when said sifter panel is seated within said frame opening 18. Thusthere is provided an interfitting assembly which permits the sifterpanel 23 to be releasably snap-locked in seated position in the frame14, the resiliency of the plastic material permitting the necessarymomentary deformation of said coacting parts to engage or disengage thesame.

Formed along the longitudinal edges and projecting transversely fromsaid apertured sifter panel 23 is a pair of sector-shaped side wings 27and 28 having arcuate outer edges which are formed on a radius extendingfrom the hinge line in the hinge member 22. As is illustrated in FIG. 4,said side wings 27, 28 are designed to extend downwardly into thecontainer when the sifter panel 23 is positioned within and overlyingthe frame opening 18, and when said panel is swung upwardly andrearwardly about said hinge line 20 to the raised position shown in FIG.3 (and in broken lines at (B) in FIG. 4), said elements 27, 28 form theside walls of a pouring spout. Spaced protrusions 29, 29 on the curvededges of said side wings adjacent the lower ends thereof are designed tosnappingly engage on opposite sides of the aforementioned frame shoulder19 to releasably secure said wings in their upwardly extending positionwhen the dispenser is being used for pouring, the enlarged lower lugs29' preventing the spout from being pulled out of the Container opening18.

Referring now more particularly to FIGS. 68, formed integrally on therearward end of the sifter panel 23 is a hinge member 31 of reducedwidth which hingedly secures a non-perforate top panel or lid 32 to saidsifter panel, said hinge member having a transverse groove 37 (FIG. 7)forming a hinge line therein. Said top panel 32 is adapted to be seatedsubstantially flush within and covering the sifter panel (FIG. 4), saidtop panel having a projecting annular flange 33 which is designed toremovably fit within the aforementioned depressed area formed in saidsifter panel. Lugs 38 on the ends and 38 on the sides of said top panelare yieldably engageable under coacting shoulder projections on saidsifter panel to releasably retain said members in interfitting relation,and an upwardly-inclined projection or tab 39 on the surface of said toppanel adjacent the free end thereof facilitates the manual grasping andmanipulation of said top panel.

As hereinabove described, when the novel dispensing closure comprisingthe present invention is in its normal, closed position, as shown infull lines in FIG. 4, the sifter panel 23 is seated within the coveringthe frame opening 18, the hinge portion 22 being bent over upon itselfas shown, and the lugs 26, 26' and laterally-projecting flange members24 on said panel being snapped into engagement with cooperating frameportions to releasably retain said sifter panel therein. The top panel32 is positioned over and seated within said sifter panel 23, the hingeportion 31 being double over upon itself as shown, and the lugs 38, 38'on said top panel snap lock under coacting shoulder portions on saidsifter panel to releasably retain the same therein. Said inter-fittingassembly forms a relatively fiat unit when closed which facilitates thestacking of a number of containers for storage or shipment.

When it is desired to shake a relatively small amount of salt (or othermaterial carried in the container), a user has merely to insert hisfingers under the projecting tab 39 on the free end of the top panel 32and pull upwardly thereon, thus disengaging said top panel from thesifter panel and permitting said top panel to be swung upwardly andforwardly about the hinge line 37 to the raised position (A) illustratedin broken lines in FIG. 4. The apertures 13 in the sifter panel 23 arethus exposed, and the user can invert and shake the carton (FIG. 2) todispense the salt therefrom. After use the top panel 32 can again beswung downwardly and pressed into the sifter panel to snap lock the sametherein, thus forming a closure therefor.

If it is desired to pour a larger quantity of salt into a measuringutensil, or into individual salt shakers, the user may grasp theprojecting end of the hinge portion 31 and pull upwardly thereon todisengage the conjoined top panel 32 and sifter panel 23 from the frame14, and said panels can then be swung upwardly and rearwardly as a unitabout the hinge line 20 to the raised position (B) illustrated in brokenlines in FIG. 4, thus exposing the pouring opening 18. As said unit isswung to said raised position the side wing members 27, 28 are pivotedupwardly therewith, of course, thus forming a spout-like dispenser fromwhich the desired quantity of salt can be poured (FIG. 3). Said pouringspout can be retracted merely by swinging the panels 23, 32 downwardlyagain to a position overlying the frame opening 18, and snapping theminto seated position therein, thus closing the carton until such time asit is desired to again dispense salt therefrom. Concise operatingdirections can be imprinted on the closure face if desired.

From the foregoing detailed description it will be seen that the presentinvention provides a novel dispensing closure for salt or other granularor powdered material containers which has several important advantagesover prior dispensing closures. With the present invention the dispensercan be opened one way to provide a bulk pouring spout, or it can beopened the opposite way to expose a sifting opening when it is desiredto dispense a limited quantity of the product.

In addition, and unlike prior dispensing closures combining both asifter and pouring spout, the present invention can be molded fromplastic or similar inexpensive material in a single piece, thusproviding a unit which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture. Saidimproved dispensing closure is also durable and not easily broken, andit is simple and reliable in use.

It is to be understood that numerous variations or modifications in theabove-described structure are possible, and it is intended to coverherein not only the illustrated embodiment but also any and allvariations or modifications thereof as may come within the spirit ofsaid invention, and within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. A dispensing closure for containers, comprising: a frame mountable inthe top of a container and defining a pouring opening, said frame havinga pair of longitudinal walls and having a forward end and a rearwardend; a shoulder formed on and across said frame forward end projetcinginto said opening; first hinge means on the rearward end of said frameand located below the frame upper edge; an apertured sifter panelconnected to said first hinge means, said sifter panel beingpositionable overlying and covering said pouring opening and beingswingable upwardly and rearwardly about said hinge means to a raisedposition exposing said pouring opening; a pair of sector-shaped sidewings on said sifter panel which project downwardly into the containerwhen said panel is in its lowered position and which wings are adaptedto form the sides of a pouring spout when said panel is swung upwardlyto a raised position; spaced protrusions formed on each of said sidewings adjacent the lower ends thereof adapted to snappingly engage onopposite sides of said frame forward end shoulder to releasably securesaid wings in their upwardly-extending position; second hinge means onthe forward, free end of said sifter panel, said second hinge meansprojecting upwardly at an angle relative to the container top to permitthe same to be manually grasped and pulled;

and a top panel connected to said second hinge means and positionableoverlying and covering said sifter panel, said top panel being swingableupwardly and forwardly about said second hinge means to expose saidapertured sifter panel and said top panel and sifter panel beingconjointly swingable upwardly and rearwardly about said first hingemeans to form a pouring spout.

2. The dispensing closure structure recited in claim 1 and having: acutout formed in the bottom edge of each of said frame longitudinalwalls adjacent the rearward 1 ends thereof, said cutouts being aligned;and an integral transverse flange on said first hinge means having endportions projecting laterally outwardly beyond said hinge means andadapted to releasably snap into said aligned frame cutouts to yieldablylock said sifter panel in seated position within the frame.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,016,168 1/1962 Larson 222-543 X3,018,024 1/1962 Foord 222-543 X 3,185,359 5/1965 Buntic 222532X3,187,964 6/1965 Foster 222543 X 3,342,380 9/1967 Smith 222-565 XSTANLEY H. TOLLBERG, Primary Examiner.

